August 26, 2017
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Reading along with us in Deuteronomy? Here’s today’s reading:
Deuteronomy 3 (ESV)
“Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 2 But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ 3 So the Lord our God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him down until he had no survivor left.4 And we took all his cities at that time—there was not a city that we did not take from them—sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.5 All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many unwalled villages. 6 And we devoted them to destruction, as we did to Sihon the king of Heshbon, devoting to destruction every city, men, women, and children.7 But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as our plunder. 8 So we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon 9 (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it Senir), 10 all the cities of the tableland and all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 (For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.)… Continue Reading
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More reminders of what we have learned and studied through the sermon series on Numbers! I’m so glad this is the book we’re reading right now, as it’s reinforcing what I’ve learned from Pastor’s teaching over these many months. The timing in my own journey with God is perfect. He is asking me to give him everything once again, to let go of the sense of security I have purposefully built into my life (didn’t He give this to me?), to “leave home” and “go out” and just “go,” to follow and trust Him, to give Him my faith and not let fear of the unknown keep me from going with Him. I always have this terrible wrestling with God at these times, when I beg and plead and ask Him for a change in heart for someone else, and then discover it is MY heart He wants to change. Theirs is already His. I’m the holdout.
My never-ending desire to be comfortable overwhelms me with a mix of longing and joy. Longing for what God is asking me to give up. Joy in being asked by God to give anything up for Him.
I know the Israelites would understand, because I’m so much like them. I want to be a Joshua. I pray to be a Joshua. But I’m not. My flesh is weak, even when my faith is strong.
23″And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 24’O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? 25Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ 26But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again.
Poor Moses- so many great conversations with God Almighty and this had to be one conversation that cut to his heart.
Historical footprints for the past and the future
How great the victory is that God gives His people in the same way He promises to give us victory over our enemies, the flesh and the kingdom of darkness. It is interesting that it mentions how big Og’s bed was….because he was that tall/big or that wealthy? It makes more sense that it was the former because why else would the Israelites keep it. It would be a good reminder of how God is able to defeat even “giants”!
And Moses suffers the punishment for his disobedience. He will not enter the land even though he presses the point with God. He says it is because of the Israelites (v26), but whether it was in terms of their leading him to disobedience or in terms of the example God wanted to make of him for their sake is hard to tell. It is a reminder of the responsibility leaders have to follow God or be subject to harsher discipline. But God is also gracious to let Moses see the land.
It is also neat to get a glimpse into the personal interaction between God and Moses.